Happy St. Patrick’s Day! In honor of the day, I’ve got an interesting recipe for you…something a little different than the typical Irish recipes you might have recently seen around the blogosphere.

I feel best when I stay away from sweets in the morning. Savory breakfasts are totally my thing, and I’ve extolled the virtues of savory oatmeal before. This oat and leek broth is a very traditional Irish recipe. I spied it in one of my favorite cookbooks (it also happens to be my only Irish cookbook), and wanted to try it right away because I love recipes with history, and because it’s another sweetener-free way to enjoy nutritious oats.

I was intrigued from my first glance at the recipe by how the oats are cooked in a milky liquid with leeks. I added some organic dandelion greens (amazingly healthy- I bought the ones I used in this recipe at my natural foods store, but soon I’ll be plucking them from my yard) and like the soup very much as is; it’s also great with cubes of leftover corned beef.

This dish is very simple, and delicious in it’s hot, soupy glory when it’s right off the stove.

I refrigerated my leftovers and found that they really thickened up on standing- they are very enjoyable this way, as well, though you can always add more milk or water and heat to thin out the broth.

Directions:

1. Combine milk, water, and butter in a pot on the stove. Bring to a boil so the butter melts. Add the oats and stir to combine.

2. Add the leeks and the dandelion greens and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring every now and then, then turn off the heat and allow to stand for 5-10 more minutes.

3. Taste the "broth" and season with sea salt. Ladle into serving bowls and top with fresh pepper to taste. Add a pat of butter or a splash of raw/organic cream before serving, if desired.

16 Comments

Oh yes! I’m a big fan of savory oats. I can almost imagine how good this taste. My version of savory oats is simply oats+vegetable/chicken stock + spring onions + pepper. I ought to try adding milk and dandelion greens too!

What a different recipe! I’ve never heard of anything like this…savory oats. How great! Thank you for sharing this delicious grain. I’m sure that the butter made this just heavenly. I hope you have a beautiful Friday. The weekend is nearly here!

I am looking forward to trying this, I loved your savoury oats idea! I was thinking I’d use millet flakes because I’m gluten-free, but now I realize buckwheat oats are probably more similar to Irish oats. How many does this serve?

I just made this and I have to capslock – OH MY GOSH IT IS FANTASTIC. This is so delicious and warming and satisfying that I want another bowl right now!

I changed some things up so it was a one-person dish. I used 50 grams millet flakes (about 1/2 cup) and just one cup milk. Also, I used raw milk, which should not be cooked, so I added it at the end and let the hot soup warm it through. I also added about 125 grams of shrimp for my protein.

Seriously, it reminded me oddly of Campbell’s Cream of Chicken soup – but I haven’t had that in over 10 years, so who knows! I think it was the texture, colour, and sheer comforting nature of this soup that reminded me of a childhood favourite… again, just delicious. Try this, it is nothing like oatmeal, not even savoury oatmeal. It’s really more of a soup.

I’ve really never thought of preparing oats in a savory way even though I know it is done all over the world! This sounds like a fabulous dish and you’ve made it look so appealing with these beautiful photos!

Wow, Winnie, this is so unique – I had never considered a savory oatmeal before, but in many ways, I can see how this makes perfect sense! I have all the ingredient right now and am looking forward to trying it out.

Welcome!

Hi there! I'm Winnie. I am a published author and I create and photograph seasonally inspired recipes here at Healthy Green Kitchen. I am also a body positive, habit-focused nutrition and strength coach, as well as a competitive powerlifter. I live in NY's Hudson Valley with my husband, kids, cats, dogs, and chickens.